


Age 21, Birthdays in Bed

by flib



Series: Nursey Week 2018 [5]
Category: Check Please! (Webcomic)
Genre: Birthday fun!, M/M, some existential crisises you know, turning 21
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-13
Updated: 2018-02-13
Packaged: 2019-03-17 18:38:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 968
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13664934
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/flib/pseuds/flib
Summary: Derek turns 21 and it doesn't feel special until his friends and boyfriend make it special.





	Age 21, Birthdays in Bed

**Author's Note:**

> Slightly different format to the last four! This is purely focused on Nursey's 21st Birthday! There will of course be a feature from the butterflies.

Twenty-one came kind of unexpectedly for Derek Nurse. One minute he was sitting on his bed with his boyfriend working on an analysis for his contemporary American literature class and listening to ancient pop punk through his headphones and the next Dex was tapping his arm and wishing him happy birthday. Just like that he was twenty-one. Finally, able to buy alcohol, legally, gamble and do pretty much whatever he had been doing since he was eighteen and became an adult originally. It was such a weird feeling. He slipped off his headphones and leant his head on Dex’s shoulder.

“Twenty-one really doesn’t feel all that special. Is it just because I’ve been listening to All Time Low all night or did you get this too?” He asked quietly.

“I guess, I got that. It is midnight on your birthday and you’re writing some kind of literary analysis and, I don’t know, listening to your fourteen year old sad playlist so I feel like you’re going to get existential no matter what.” Dex smiled softly. “How are you going with that anyway?”

Nursey sighed and sat up properly only to slump again, this time backwards. “I’m trying to wrap this all up but there is all this meaning that Jessica didn’t even touch on in the lecture and I’m wondering if I’m reaching or if it’s all there? I think I need to go to bed.”

“Hey, I was about to suggest that. Don’t steal my good boyfriend thunder.” He chuckled.

They pushed their laptops to the ground on either side of the bed and began the classic millennial dance of untangling themselves from their various cords so they could plug in their phones and figure out their headphone situation. Derek was strictly no headphones in sleep, he was afraid of being choked in his sleep while Dex couldn’t sleep without listening to a podcast or music. Derek was pretty sure his need came from growing up in a big family where someone was always talking or the tv was on when he went to sleep so silence was weird. Derek didn’t really mind but Dex preferred headphones to listening to stuff out loud. 

He fell asleep sorting out the things he was going to do tomorrow in his head. 

Derek woke up to a kiss, as dorky and cliché as it is, and a huge grin from Dex. No matter how many times it happened it wasn’t getting old. He rolled on to his side to face Dex more comfortably. 

“Was that my Valentine’s or birthday present?” He asked cheekily.

Dex snorted and sat up in bed. “Neither. Just a wake-up call before I let Chowder and Bitty pounce on you.”

It was somewhat of a Haus tradition to get into bed/jump on your Hausmate on their birthday. It was new tradition Shitty started and Bitty gleefully carried on. Luckily, Bitty was a lot more uncomfortable with other people’s nudity and usually waited for people to signal that he wouldn’t be getting in bed with anyone naked. Derek rolled over to grab a pair of trackpants from the floor and slip them on as Dex texted the Haus group chat with an evil glint in his eyes. Within a minute both doors to their room slammed open and Bitty, Wicks and Chowder piled in to the bed with Dex and Derek, as there was five of them on the bed they just opted to push the original inhabitants into the middle as they joined them instead of jumping on it. 

“Has Dex given you his present yet?” Chowder demanded to know immediately. 

“I think he’s holding out on me again because of his stupid principles.” 

Dex and Bitty rolled their eyes at them both. They came from families who gave presents in the afternoon while Chowder and Derek were morning present people. Wicks was just gross and had managed to miss this long running debate. 

“Wait, how can someone be against morning sex? Or is it pie for breakfast? Either way, Dex, you’re wrong.”

Everyone but Dex was cackling in that moment. “Jesus, Wicky. We’re talking about actual presents.”

Derek winked at him and his blush got even darker somehow. 

“Looks, like you’re getting neither of those today though.” 

The whole room groaned or made disbelieving noises. 

“Alright, all of you get out. I want to bug him for both of those now. Bitty, have you tried them together?”

Bitty let out a choked noise while Chowder highfived Derek on their way out. Wicky followed snickering. 

Derek lay back down and pulled Dex down next to him. “I was kidding about all of that but it doesn’t actually sound like a bad idea in retrospect.” 

Dex snorted at him. “Sure, sure. Does this feel more like your birthday now?”

Derek remembered their conversation. “Yeah, I guess so. Just gotta wait for my moms and Farah to call and I think we’ll be pretty close to feeling like a birthday.” 

Dex kissed him on the cheek. “Want my present yet?” 

Derek nodded not quite believing that Dex would abandon his principles this early.

Dex rolled over and rooted around under the bed to find a small jewellery box and a tiny present bag. He handed them over. The present bag had a butterfly mood ring and a pack of ink replacements for his favourite pen (all black). The jewellery box housed a beautifully crafted silver butterfly pendant on a leather cord. Derek couldn’t believe how perfect and simple the presents were. He slipped the mood ring on immediately and it turned a dark blue for happy/romantic.

“Oooh. Romantic for Valentine’s Day Dexy.” He laughed and wrapped his boyfriend in a hug. “These are the coolest things you have ever gotten me. I love them. Thank you.”

**Author's Note:**

> Mood rings are fun as fuck and nice pen refills are expensive as fuck. I'd appreciate both of these presents.


End file.
